A
supernatural love triangle that tests the bounds of science, truth, and faith.
BLURB
Regent Lela of Asiya is the most powerful
person on her planet but she is powerless to save the life of her beloved
soulmate—Zion Grace. For thirty years they lived as husband and wife, but
Zion’s time is at an end. Lela must go on without him.
“There will never be anyone else for me.”
Despite having died, nothing can keep Zion
from his soulmate. He’s back but not as the man he once was. Zion must help
Lela move on with her life, lest he lose her forever. But how can Zion convince
Lela to accept the love and affections of another man when he still wants her
for himself?
"I love you, Lela. My heart is forever
yours.”
Lela and Zion are bound souls, destined to
live eternity together. For these lovers, death is not an end, but a fateful
beginning.
In a world of
mystery and magic, sometimes old bonds must be broken before new ones can be
formed. Who knew that finding one’s soul mate would test bonds and unleash
beasts?
From
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Of Beasts and Bonds (Death and Destiny Trilogy, #2) . . .
I'm sorry there are no spoilers found here except the quest will continue on. Now on to the prophesied Cat and Fire Witch of legend, Assefa and Dr Sanura. With their incomplete bonding and the evil, Mami Wata, water goddess, their coming together has unleashed on the world. Death. Destruction. Magic. Mystery. Myth. All things are tested and re-tested again. Bonding should be a simple step in their progression, but every turn leads them to another task that needs to be completed.
As with the first book, I got rich memorable characters, strong mythical depictions, vivid imagery, and a battle that included death, destruction, and defeating the evil to some extent. I could feel the action, the intense bonds and the frustration of not connecting fully, the struggle between secondary characters, the pull of turmoil, the pull of frustrations. I got a full range of it all. I am on the hunt for the next installment. I have many things that I am hoping will be wrapped up in the next book.
**This eBook was provided via N.D. Jones
in exchange for an honest review.**
Death and Destiny Trilogy series:
Of Fear and Faith – Death and Destiny Trilogy, #1
SEE REVIEW
Of Beast and Bonds – Death and Destiny Trilogy, #2
BLURB
Mami Wata and Oya are now free from
their watery prison and ready to wage a battle five hundred years in the
making. Special Agent Assefa Berber and Dr. Sanura Williams are the prophesied
Cat and Fire Witch of Legend. To save the world from Mami Wata, a water goddess
with a bloody thirst for power and an insatiable appetite for death and
destruction, they must defeat her beasts and the Water Witch of Legend.
Assefa and Sanura are fully in love
but possess only a partial mate bond. While Sanura has merged their auras,
bonding Assefa’s cat spirit to her, she has yet to accept his claiming bite.
Their incomplete mate bond and their new relationship are tested when Mami Wata
sets her malevolent eyes on them, manipulating beasts, sacrificing humans, and
creating heartache. Can their bond survive, or will they drown under the
vicious tide of godly might?
With focused golden
eyes, alert gray ears, and keen black snout, the Mngwa took in his
surroundings.
The prickly grass
under his large, wide paws.
The heat of the
midday sun beating down on his thick black-and-gray fur.
The scent of mullah
bamyah—garlic, tomato juice, minced beef, okra, salt, and pepper.
The four snarling big
cats stalking him.
Scanning each strong,
lithe, and ferocious cat, the Mngwa cataloged their stance, their position, and
the distance between each other and from the Mngwa. They flanked him, a large
cat to his front, rear, and sides. If the Mngwa could smile, he would have.
Foolishly, they thought their numbers a strategic advantage that would fell the
undefeated Mngwa of myth and legend. Instead of a smile, he snarled, a baring
of elongated teeth.
A challenge.
The four cats
attacked, their bestial response to his bait.
Four sets of paws
struck the ground, claws digging into grass and dirt, brawny legs propelling
them forward. Razor-sharp teeth bared, husky growls cut through the muggy June
air, and feline eyes glowed with a premature win.
The leopard reached the
Mngwa first, snapping and going for the bigger cat’s neck. Not wasting time
with the youngest of the four attackers, the Mngwa sidestepped the snarling,
snapping leopard. To only pivot, turn, and ram the side of the too-slow feline
with the Mngwa’s massive head. Away from the Mngwa the leopard flew, sailing
through the air and crashing to the ground several feet away.
The three other cats
spared no pitying glance to the downed leopard, who lay on his side, breathing
labored and ragged. A sure sign of broken ribs.
More growls and
snapping, each cat trying for a different part of the Mngwa’s massive body. The
Mngwa was having none of it, so he went on the offensive. Leaping over the
biggest threat, the Bengal tiger, the Mngwa landed nimbly, then ran straight at
the cheetah. Taking the speckled feline by surprise, the Mngwa powered over the
cat, knocking him down before hauling him up by his scrawny neck and shaking.
The cheetah’s fragile neck was held firm between the Mngwa’s curved
saber-shaped teeth.
When the Mngwa no
longer felt resistance, he opened his deadly jaws and allowed the cheetah to
fall from his brutal clutch and slip, nearly unconscious, to the waiting grass.
Smack. Bite.
The lion and tiger
claimed simultaneous strikes on the Mngwa. A swipe across his hindquarters and
a bite to his side. The lion latched onto the Mngwa, his lethal teeth working
to find purchase in the cat of legend’s winter dense fur and even thicker hide.
Like the predator he
was, the Bengal tiger charged while the Mngwa grappled with the formidable
lion. A mix of yellow-and-orange with wide dark-brown stripes, the 510-pound
tiger landed on top of the Mngwa. His weight hefty, his claws long, sharp, and
dangerous. The maw that threatened his nape even deadlier.
The lion kept up his
offensive, kept clawing, kept sinking his teeth in deeper and deeper.
The Mngwa roared,
reared back on his hind legs, forcing the tiger off him and to the hard ground.
With a side dive, the Mngwa dropped the entirety of his 695 pounds onto the
380-pound lion. His long, dark mane shot up and out with the force of the
attack.
The downed lion
snapped and snarled but didn’t get up. No, with the Mngwa looming over him,
golden eyes marble hard, paw raised, claws out and within striking range of the
lion’s throat, the feline had only two choices.
One would see him
dead, while the other …
The lion lowered his
eyes, and then his head.
Submission.
Pleased, the Mngwa
shifted his gaze to the tiger, his other senses having tracked the big cat the
entire time.
He knew it would come
down to this—the Mngwa versus the Bengal tiger. It always did.
The big cats circled,
taking each other’s measure. They searched for an opening, an opportunity to
attack with the least probability of an effective and bruising counterattack. The
combatants knew each other well—style of combat, defensive and offensive
tactics.
Speed, size, and
agility were on the Mngwa’s side. Yet, the toxin from an animal no longer than
an inch, the golden poison frog could kill a dozen men. Its tiny size and bright
colors deceiving. Not, at a length of 120 inches and 43 inches of shoulder
height, with a tail just as long, there was anything small about the Bengal
tiger baring his gleaming white teeth at the Mngwa.
The Mngwa
underestimated no one—no matter the outward appearance of the enemy. Even the
cat of legend, if incautious, could taste the bitter tang of defeat. So he
watched and waited and plotted the tiger’s downfall.
The tiger charged,
all muscle and menace. His long, powerful legs ate up the distance between
them, determined copper eyes all for the Mngwa.
The cat of legend
braced himself, choosing to face the big cat head-on. He wanted this fight, the
primal challenge that only a great beast like the Bengal tiger could give him.
A glorious battle of fangs, fur, and claws that would push, force, and compel
the Mngwa to prove his worth, his manhood, his undisputed dominance as the
predator of predators.
Crash.
The ground shook -
the Mngwa and tiger locked in a feral clench.
Biting.
Clawing.
Pulling.
Strong. The tiger was
so strong. But not strong enough.
The Mngwa opened his
mouth wide and clamped down on fur and flesh. The neck of his opponent was
thick with rigid muscles and delicate veins. The pulse of the tiger’s life a
strong, fast throbbing beat in the Mngwa’s deadly mouth.
The tiger whimpered his pain. Neither loud nor
long. But enough, enough for the Mngwa’s ears to detect the effect of his
attack. Yet the tiger fought on, as the Mngwa knew he would. As the Mngwa
wanted him to, the tiger too stubborn, courageous, and fierce to submit so
easily.
No, there was much
fight left in the Bengal tiger.
He swiped at the
Mngwa, vicious claws finding vulnerable underbelly and drawing blood. It hurt,
but not enough for the bigger cat to release his vice grip. The Mngwa sank his
teeth deeper into the side of the tiger’s neck, tasting blood and prideful
were-cat magic.
Her gardenia scent
slammed into his senses seconds before the Mngwa and the tiger were surrounded
by a ring of raging fire. Breaking his hold on the smaller cat, the Mngwa
turned to see an angry fire witch barreling toward them—green eyes cold,
red-gold hair and long striped sundress blowing in a wind that came out of
nowhere. Her deadly focus was all for the Bengal tiger who, unlike when he fought
the Mngwa, trembled with fear.
Lightning hissed.
Thunder growled.
And fire witch magic
crackled in the blistering summer air.
Dammit, he had to do
something and fast. Retreating as far as he could go within the cage of fire,
the Mngwa propelled himself forward, accelerating when he approached the heated
barrier and jumped. With ease, he cleared the four-foot high ring of fire and
landed, with an oompf, on top of a glaring Sanura.
“I can’t believe you
just—”
He licked her. From
the front ring bodice of her green-and-orange striped dress, up her toned
shoulders and around the tie neck, and into thick hair covering an ear, the
Mngwa tasted his witch.
“Get off me, you big
furball. I can’t breathe.”
Satisfied and
comfortable, the Mngwa nuzzled his witch’s face, neck, and her heaving breasts,
unfazed by Sanura’s angry protestations. The only part of him that pinned the
witch down was his massive head and part of his chest. But, the Mngwa supposed,
even that much weight could be heavy on a woman who, while five-feet-ten-inches
tall, weighed no more than 140 pounds. With a teasing snort that had a lock of
her wavy hair flying upward and out of her eye, the Mngwa decided it best to
give the fire breathing witch some relief.
With a single thought
from Assefa—I’ll take care of our witch, my friend, go to sleep—the cat gave
way to the man. A transformative effect where fur and hide succumbed to hair
and skin, paws and claws shrank to hands and legs, and golden eyes, muzzle, and
fangs retreated, waning under Assefa’s command.
“Is that better?”
Assefa smiled down at his hot-tempered girlfriend, right before settling the
whole of him on top of the whole of her.
Very nice. Sanura
made for the best mattress—plush, lush and with the right amount of firmness.
“You’re naked.” A
huffed complaint that did nothing to encourage Assefa to move off her.
“Of course. My Mngwa
doesn’t like clothing.” He shifted on top of her, letting Sanura feel just how
naked he was. “He thinks pants are too binding. What do you think?”
She closed her eyes
and shook her head. “I think you need to worry more about that big damn tiger
you were fighting rather than your Mngwa in boxers.”
N. D. Jones lives in Maryland with her
husband and two children. She is the founder of Kuumba Publishing, an art,
audiobook, eBook, and paperback company. Kuumba Publishing is a forum for
creativity, with a special commitment to promoting and encouraging creative
works of authors and artists of African descent.
A desire to see more novels with
positive, sexy, and three-dimensional African American characters as soul
mates, friends, and lovers, inspired the author to take on the challenge of
penning such romantic reads. She is the author of two paranormal romance
series: Winged Warriors and Death and Destiny. N.D. likes to read historical
and paranormal romance novels, as well as comics and manga.
From The Book Junkie Reads . . . Of Fear & Faith (Death and Destiny, #1) . . .
Content, content, content. You cannot get around the authentic feel of this one. There was a feel of realness to this one. I could almost transport myself to this time, place, and scene as it was taking place. The words came off the pages to engage and entice you to believe. I absolutely love paranormal read of all kinds. I love even more paranormal romance. Add to that there was something of all the paranormal supernatural genres that kept me turning pages and getting excited for what was coming next. Gods, goddess, witches, demons, destiny, death, and then there was more. Getting immersed in this world of paranormal/supernatural activities was a breeze. ND Jones made the flow enjoying and inviting. The mix of romance and mystery with some suspense all capped in a paranormal world packed in Baltimore. I could not get enough and I am looking for more. I had the please to snag an interview with the author herself. That would be contained below.
**This
ARC was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Before trust and love can take hold,
grow solid roots, and blossom into a reality larger than self, fear must be
conquered and faith embraced. Yet fear of an ancient prophecy, of burning
magical power, and a broken heart, Sanura Williams, psychology professor, is
unprepared when Special Agent Assefa Berber enters her life, hunting a
preternatural serial killer. Assefa's intelligent, chocolate eyes and
intoxicating aura signature stirs her fire spirit but frightens the woman.
In a world where all is not as it
seems, Sanura and Assefa must battle the gods' first creations - vile predators
who threaten the safety of humans. Each confrontation, each bloody clash, will
bring Sanura and Assefa closer to fulfilling the prophecy of being the Fire
Witch and Cat of Legend - the ones who will save humanity from the Water Witch
of Legend. Death, godly magic, and physical attraction draw Sanura and Assefa
to each other, but fear and faith will determine their destiny.
She watched Makena exit the room and make a right. The hallway led to the stairs that would take Makena to the second level and to her bedroom. Two minutes later, a solidly shut door was heard, a door that never required that much force to close.
After the clear dramatics, they moved to the living room, Sanura acutely aware there was no third person for her to play off of. Then the guilt came. She’d ignored it all evening, but with Assefa’s sweet, brown eyes gazing down at her, Sanura had to say, “I’m sorry about today. You drove all the way from Baltimore to pay me a visit and we didn’t even have time to talk before we were interrupted.” She really didn’t want to rehash the uncomfortable moment in the lecture hall, but she also didn’t want Richard hanging between them either. Whatever was happening between them—and, yes, something was happening—Sanura wanted, no needed, Assefa to understand that Richard no longer mattered.
“No need to apologize. I had a status meeting with my division chief in DC, and College Park is almost around the corner. I should be the one to apologize for showing up unannounced and expecting you to drop everything to have a bite to eat with me.”
Calm. Flatly stated.
“Lunch would’ve been nice, but still—”
Assefa waved another apology away and made his way to the front door, grabbing his suit jacket off the coat hook once he reached the foyer. He slid into the fine garment, the movement graceful yet quick.
He didn’t seem upset, but the good humor he’d displayed earlier was gone, the beginnings of that damn mask reforming and slipping back into place. Walls. Sanura hated them. Helped her patients dismantle them. Hell, she had her own. Yet the wall Assefa was so carefully constructing bothered her.
She’d followed him to the door. “Since you refuse my apology, at least let me take you to dinner tomorrow. Have you been to the Inner Harbor?”
“I haven’t had time to take in Charm City, too busy trying to catch that damn adze and too tired to do anything other than sleep on my days off.”
“Good, then I’ll be happy to show you downtown Baltimore, avoiding the strip clubs, of course. Unless you’re into that type of thing,” she teased, hoping to break through his wall. His shocked expression told her she’d scored a direct hit. “You aren’t the only one who can—”
He kissed her.
Spontaneous and shocking, it momentarily left Sanura paralyzed, unresponsive.
But as his soft lips gently caressed hers, her lower brain functions finally took over, compelling Sanura to return the unexpected—but so damn nice—kiss. It was a short, undemanding kiss, serving more to test the waters than to ignite a flame. But he tasted so good, much better than any man had a right to. Spice and mint mingled in an exotic cocktail of irresistible were-cat maleness.
Assefa leaned further into her, and placed a kiss on her cheek as he’d done on the front porch two weeks ago. Then he trailed those plump, sensuous lips down her neck and deeply inhaled.
Sanura’s hands flew to his waist, and pulled him closer with each maddening lungful he took of her. And he took many deep, arousing breaths that sent an electrical charge cascading through Sanura’s body, settling in her core—heavy and hot.
“You still smell wrong,” he finally said, head tucked in the crook of her neck, hot breath inviting more than a verbal response. “I need to know what the real you smells like.” Not quite a demand but neither a plea.
“That’s part of the ritual.” She nearly moaned the words as the intensity of their auras so close together increased with every second they stayed in each other’s arms. Made worse or better, depending on how she looked at it, each time his tantalizing lips found her pulsing neck.
N. D. Jones lives in Maryland with her
husband and two children. Having earned a M.A. in Political Science, she is a
dedicated educator. She taught high school social studies for nine years.
Currently, she is a professional development specialist with a local Maryland
school system, working on increasing student achievement through teacher and
administrator efficacy. N.D. is also a continuing education student who is
pursuing her doctorate in education in Community College Leadership.
A desire to see more novels with
positive, sexy, and three-dimensional African American characters as soul
mates, friends, and lovers, inspired the author to take on the challenge of
penning such romantic reads. She is the author of two paranormal romance
series: Winged Warriors and Death and Destiny. N.D. likes to read historical
and paranormal romance novels, as well as comics and manga.
How would you describe your
style of writing to someone that has never read your work?
I never thought about my writing as having a particular style, but
of course, every author does. If I had to
describe my style of writing, I’d say there’s
a melodic cadence to my writing. When I listen to my books, I can hear it, feel
it. For example, I have an odd writing fascination with the number three. I
have no idea where it came from, but three feels right when I’m describing or explaining
something. I don’t do it all the time, but I do it enough that I now consider
it a subconscious/conscious trend. Let me give you, what else, three examples
from “Of Fear and Faith.”
Assefa
only smiled, knowing from Mike’s entrance he hadn’t had his cup of leftover
station coffee—gritty, bland, and hard to swallow. (pg. 12)
“A
demon. A monster. The devil. Take your pick, detective, and you’ll be right.”
(pg. 19)
Too many damn times. Too many kills. Too many
victims. (pg. 20)
As you can see, I didn’t have to search too far into my novel to
find examples.
I was once asked if I had a “crazy writing quirk.” My response to
that question also applies to my general writing style for paranormal and
fantasy romance novels. I’ll share my response with you. I tend to write my
action sequences like comic book scenes. Well, not exactly, but I use a lot of
SFX when I write my action sequences. Not POW,
like in old Batman and Robin comics,
because, well, that’s just a little too corny nowadays. But thud, crack, smack, pop, yeah, you’ll find those sound
effects in my stories. What can I say, I enjoy comics so I find nothing wrong
with adding a bit of a comic book flavor
to my novels. Here are two examples, see, not three, from “Of Fear and Faith.”
The sky over the ancient land of Yoruba darkened as
the thunderstorm approached, growing mile by mile, village by village,
blanketing the sky in unforgiving clouds of anger and loneliness.
Thunder raged behind the clouds, its agonized roar
sending animals and humans fleeing for safety.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
More thunder, loud and menacing.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
Sà ngó, the god of fire, lightning and thunder appeared in the sky. Bolts of burning,
ragged heat surrounded him, setting him
apart from the blackness of the caustic sky (Prologue).
Sanura
raised both arms, lifted them skyward and commanded in a booming, dictatorial
voice that sounded nothing like her, “Heed my call. Listen to my demand. Bring
my familiar to me.”
Silence.
Nothing.
Then…rampaging
gallops in the sky.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The
ground outside the force field quaked.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The
adzes stopped their prowling.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The
gallops were getting closer, louder.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Crackle. Thud. Crackle.
“Bring the cat of legend to me
now!”
Crackle. Boom. (pg.
171-172)
What
mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in
general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)?
I do most of my writing in my bedroom. I have this great sleigh
bed I use as my desk. I probably should use an actual desk, but I love the comfort and coziness of my bedroom to that of any
other room in my house. While I don’t require absolute silence to write, it’s
preferable. I never listen to music while writing, not even instrumental music.
Background noise is a distraction. I find it difficult to focus if too much is
going on around me, especially if I’m writing an intense scene. Scenes of
action and intimacy are what I consider intense scenes that require quiet and
focus.
Do you
take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character
all the way though to the page? Do you
people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character
during story creation?
I build upon my characters during the story creation. I should
probably sketch out every little detail about each character before writing. I read some authors use that
method. And while I’m a pretty organized and detailed person, I have no
interest in doing a deep character profile for each character. I will admit,
however, having written the second book in the Death and Destiny Trilogy a
character profile cheat sheet would’ve been nice (LOL). I may have to revisit
my decision to not use the strategy.
My book has a great ensemble cast, so I work hard to create
diverse yet complementary characters. I try not to create “the funny” character
or “the jerk” character, for example. What I want are three-dimensional
characters, this includes supporting characters. So while I don’t write a
complete bio of each character beforehand, I am very deliberate in the crafting
of each character and the role(s) they serve in the book. With a trilogy, I’m
able to show the growth of my characters as well as their deeper layers, which
is quite nice and rewarding.
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character? If
so which one(s)?
Do you have a character that you have been working on that you
can't wait to put to paper?
Not exactly. There are supporting characters who will receive more
page time in upcoming books. I look forward to exploring those characters,
especially Assefa’s brother, sister, and father. The second book in the Death
and Destiny Trilogy, which will be released in August, highlights Sanura’s
family, friends, and witch community. The third and final book in the trilogy
will switch it up a bit and take the couple to Sudan and other African
countries as they battle to save the world.
Death and Destiny is what you
titled this series. Could you give more of an insight as to what brought
you to this name in particular? Were there other choices?
I’m all about themes, which becomes quite clear when people read
my works. I take titles of my books and series quite seriously. In fact, I
start with the title of my book before I begin writing. The title must feel
right for the story I have in mind. Since the trilogy is about a doomsday
prophecy, Death and Destiny simply made sense. Sanura and Assefa are the
destined fire witch and cat of legend. That is their fate, their unfair lot in
life, thanks to the gods. And their destiny, unfortunately, includes violence,
bloodshed and yes, the death of innocents.
Do you have an idea of the length of this series?
Death and Destiny is a
trilogy, so it’s three full-length novels. The second book in the trilogy, “Of
Beasts and Bonds,” is now finished and will be available for pre-order in May.
Like “Of Fear and Faith,” the title of book two is thematic, giving readers a
foundation for the story. Words like fear, faith, beasts, and bonds aren’t
meant just for the hero and heroine in this trilogy. The words also apply to many
of the secondary characters, including protagonists.
Will secondary characters in this book be brought forth as primary
characters in another book or series?
Great question. Originally, I hadn’t planned on writing any other
books in the Death and Destiny Universe after the third book. However, as I
began to write book two in the trilogy, adding characters and fleshing out
others mentioned in “Of Fear and Faith,” I began to see how I could weave a few
of the supporting characters into a new series, making them lead characters.
With that decision made, I used book two
to put certain subplots in place that will play out in the upcoming series. After
reading book two, a couple of the future pairings will be obvious to readers,
while others will not. I look forward to telling
those characters story. But first I must
finish the love story of Sanura and Assefa.
What do you have next for your readers?
I’m excited about the upcoming release of “Of Beasts and Bonds.” I love what I was able to do in this book
in terms of character development and Sanura’s and Assefa’s magical abilities.
As a paranormal romance writer, I go to great lengths to show the paranormal
aspects of the story. Preternatural beings in my stories must demonstrate to
the reader what makes them awesome and frightening. For me, that means letting
them cut loose and showing what they are about. I was really able to do that in
the second installment of the trilogy, even more so than I did in the first
novel. The scenes of magic, godly power, and were-cat might are among my
favorite scenes in “Of Beasts and Bonds.” Outside of, of course, the quite,
tender, sensual moments between Sanura and Assefa.
The gift boxes will each include an
autographed copy of “Of Fear and Faith,” an Amazon gift certificate for an
ebook copy of “Heat, Hunt, Hope,” a Dropbox gift certificate for a MP3 download
of the audiobook version of “Fire, Fury, Faith,” and two swag items.
